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I often wonder if too much introspection via therapy or yourself is a bad thing. When you are young you are filled with ideas and drive and confidence. After in

by rr888 4y ago

I often wonder if too much introspection via therapy or yourself is a bad thing. When you are young you are filled with ideas and drive and confidence. After introspection you realize you aren't special, you aren't as good as you think you are and most people are indifferent to you or often dont really like you.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
guhidalg 4y ago
I think you can begin to answer that question by thinking of journaling/introspection as a treatment and the negative thoughts as a symptom. There can be a few cases: - If you apply the journaling treatment prophylactically, does it prevent those negative thoughts? - If you do not apply the journaling treatment prophylactically, what is the likelihood of having negative thoughts? In my case, the thoughts came without journaling so I can confidently state introspection did not cause me to think I'm not special and worse than I thought.
VishwaGauravIn 4y ago
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BoxOfRain 4y ago
It can go the other way too, introspection can make you realise you're nowhere near as bad as you think you are. This is particularly true if you've grown up in one of those worldviews that give you a savage inner critic and attribute it to the voice of God.
- rr888 4y ago
  Totally I have a big reel of embarassing moments that gets replayed. Its great to figure out later that either people didn't remember, didn't care, or still laugh along with the situation rather than at me.
VishwaGauravIn 4y ago
a
VishwaGauravIn 4y ago
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VishwaGauravIn 4y ago
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pessimizer 4y ago
Feeling that you are special, amazing, and that most people love you is not something common to all (or I would think even most) people. You must have had very supportive and permissive parents.
- rr888 4y ago
  Hi I agree, and I myself never thought I was special amazing or everyone loved me. I did however think I was great at engineering and could write some great code. I think the point was that most people think they're an above average on most things. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/getting-along-and-getting-ahead/202001/people-think-theyre-better-average-how-much-better https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/getting-along-and-ge... Now I realize I'm probably average at best and the stuff I look back was actually pretty bad.
slothtrop 4y ago
That seems more a symptom of cognitive distortions which would plague you whether or not you journal. Your self-perceived exceptionalism is not a determining factor for whether you are filled with ideas, drive and confidence - and most people like you just fine. On the other side of the coin, you can't navel-gaze all day long. Action at some point is necessary. There's certainly value in deliberately calibrating them and choosing them through introspection, because we are creatures of habit - habits can work for us or against us. I used to think action is the only hard part, but I'd suggest that making sense of our desires and making a choice is just as difficult.

by rr888 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

guhidalg 4y ago

I think you can begin to answer that question by thinking of journaling/introspection as a treatment and the negative thoughts as a symptom. There can be a few cases: - If you apply the journaling treatment prophylactically, does it prevent those negative thoughts? - If you do not apply the journaling treatment prophylactically, what is the likelihood of having negative thoughts? In my case, the thoughts came without journaling so I can confidently state introspection did not cause me to think I'm not special and worse than I thought.

VishwaGauravIn 4y ago

BoxOfRain 4y ago

It can go the other way too, introspection can make you realise you're nowhere near as bad as you think you are. This is particularly true if you've grown up in one of those worldviews that give you a savage inner critic and attribute it to the voice of God.

rr888 4y ago
Totally I have a big reel of embarassing moments that gets replayed. Its great to figure out later that either people didn't remember, didn't care, or still laugh along with the situation rather than at me.

VishwaGauravIn 4y ago

pessimizer 4y ago

Feeling that you are special, amazing, and that most people love you is not something common to all (or I would think even most) people. You must have had very supportive and permissive parents.

rr888 4y ago
Hi I agree, and I myself never thought I was special amazing or everyone loved me. I did however think I was great at engineering and could write some great code. I think the point was that most people think they're an above average on most things. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/getting-along-and-getting-ahead/202001/people-think-theyre-better-average-how-much-better https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/getting-along-and-ge... Now I realize I'm probably average at best and the stuff I look back was actually pretty bad.

slothtrop 4y ago

That seems more a symptom of cognitive distortions which would plague you whether or not you journal. Your self-perceived exceptionalism is not a determining factor for whether you are filled with ideas, drive and confidence - and most people like you just fine. On the other side of the coin, you can't navel-gaze all day long. Action at some point is necessary. There's certainly value in deliberately calibrating them and choosing them through introspection, because we are creatures of habit - habits can work for us or against us. I used to think action is the only hard part, but I'd suggest that making sense of our desires and making a choice is just as difficult.